1. Field of the Invention
The invention described herein is a method for operating a continuous mining machine with a linear cutting head having a new mechanical configuration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Continuous mining machines employing cutting bits on a rotating head have been used for some time. Our invention employs a non-rotating type head with fewer bits modifying the previously used methods by first sumping into the mine face and then shearing the mine face without retracting the cutting bit from the mine face. Of the known prior art U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,343 to W. W. Sloane appears closest to our invention, However, significant differences exist in that Sloane's invention uses a wedging action to impact the bits and insert the cutters into the coal thereby breaking out large pieces and withdrawing the cutting head from the coal face to reinsert it for the next breakage to occur by wedging action. Such a method would not only produce much less mined material per unit time than our invention but would also produce more dust, both of which are contrary to the stated objectives of this invention.